Monday, 20 October 2008

A what if....thought can be a positive thought too. I wonder what will happen when I change my what if...worries to what if... I get what I want.

Use the power of your imagination

It’s all too easy to imagine something horrible happening. But have you ever noticed that if something happens, like the horse spooks, in that moment you cope perfectly well and feel nothing? It’s afterwards when you start thinking about all the ‘what ifs’ that you start to feel the fear?

Try this… take a ‘what if’ that worries you and follow it through to a positive outcome; an outcome where you remain in control or regain control and you are safe and happy.

And this... think of something you really want to achieve. What if you get it? Imagine what it will be like? What will you see, hear, feel? Wouldn't you rather be imagining this?

Sunday, 12 October 2008

I have a superb pack of Horse Wisdom cards that have been created by Linda Kohanov and Kim McElroy. Kim has painted the stunning images for these cards. The set consists of 40 cards and a book in which each chapter describes the Gift, the Challenge and the Journey relating to each card.

If you are interested in how horse wisdom can help guide your life then you will love these cards. I'll be sharing more of how I am working with them in coming posts. Here is just one example of how I used them just this weekend for my own guidance.

Recently events in my life have left me feeling like I am being held in a waiting mode and am not being allowed to move forward. These events have not been major but a series of irritating things that have held me up - like the car blowing a tyre, the PC monitor dying, losing my mobile phone (though I did find it eventually) and this last week a trapped nerve in my back which has literally stopped me moving forwards with any speed (and sometimes moving at all!).

So I tuned into my horses and the cards to ask 'what is this all about?' I drew three cards, one for the general question and one each for Penny and Jester's take on it. These are the cards I drew:

No 20: Close to the ShoreThis card is about being at a crossroads and in transition where the old life is being left behind, but the new life has not yet revealed itself and the form is not clear. This can be a fertile time of gaining knowledge that can be passed on, if we view it that way. (Or we could just get cranky!)

Penny's choice: No 8 Desert of Inspiration (one of my favourities, this card depicts a black horse standing with a raven-haired woman, which is kind of poignant since Penny is a black horse and I have very dark hair!)This card is about creative limbo, the art of doing nothing and allowing space for something new to emerge. 'The frustrating limbo between letting go of the old and giving birth to the new is an essential, though uncomfortable law of nature'.

Jester's choice: No 24 KairosKairos is about opportunity and timing. 'The best laid plans can distract you from unexpected opportunities. Yet you cannot force the issue. Sometimes you must wait, patiently, for an opening - then act without hesitation'.

There seems to be a clear theme then! This is not a time for forward motion obviously!

What might I being doing instead to make use of this creative limbo? I drew card no 19 Back to Grazing! All about trusting in the universe, becoming emotionally agile and letting go of the stories that keep me tied to the past. This is particularly significant for me as I have been processing a number of issues over the last couple of years relating to the death of my brother when I was 12. I have a feeling that the time is now right to move on from there, and clear that energetic space ready for new things.

These cards really are awesome! As are the horses and horse wisdom encompassed in them.

My body is a mirror of inner thoughts and beliefs. Every muscle responds to every thought I think. My horse feels my every thought: what is in my brain goes down the reins!

If you have never done a body scan, this is a great time to do it. Stand with your feet just slightly apart so you feel balanced. Let your arms hang by your side. Close you eyes and focus on how you feel on the inside of your body. Start at your toes and work up through the body until your reach the top of your head.

Notice where you feel tense, where relaxed; where you feel pain or pleasure, warm or cold, hard or soft. Just notice the different sensations in your body.

If you can, ask a friend to observe your body from the outside and make a note of what she notices.

Now think of a specific pleasurable experience for a minute or two and do that body scan again. Make a note of the sensations you feel.

Then think of an unpleasant experience and do the body scan. Note where you feel different.

If you are working with a friend ask her to note her observations. Then compare notes when you have finished.

What did you learn about the thoughts your are transmitting to your horse through your body?

Wednesday, 1 October 2008

For the last month I've had my head in a book - one I've been writing, not reading. The irony is that the book is about social networking and blogging for beginners and I've been so embroiled in writing about it, I haven't been doing it! All will power up again this week so more power thought tips will coming up rapidly! Plus other articles and ideas around healing and horsemanship.

A world of horse wisdom

For a while now I have been working with riders on their relationship with their horses and with their own 'self'. On my journey to discover more of 'me', my horses have led me to discover and understand more of their wisdom and the wisdom of all equines. This blog is for sharing ideas, thoughts, wisdom, experiences and desires around horse wisdom and the concept of horses as healers. Please feel free to add yours. I'd love the blog to be a conversation not just a speech.

About Me

Much of our life is spent being who we think we should be, and then there comes the tipping point when voluntarily or involuntarily we become who we really are. The stories we used to live no longer serve us and we need to leave them behind so that our life can live a new story. This is where I am at - becoming me: smart, sassy, wise, bright, creative, inspiring and just a little wild! And creating space for a whole new life story.